EzineArticles - Expert Authors Sharing Their Best Original Articles


  Submit Articles
  Members Login
  Benefits
  Expert Authors
  Read Endorsements
  Editorial Guidelines
  Author TOS

  Terms of Service
  Ezines / Email Alerts
  Manage Subscriptions
  EzineArticles RSS

  Blog
  Forums
  About Us
  What's New
  Contact Us
  Article Writing Shop
  Advertising
  Affiliates
  Privacy Policy
  Site Map


Advanced Search


Report this author if you suspect they are involved in any fraudulent practices. Suggest a topic or article headline you would like the author to write about.

Paul Jerard - EzineArticles.com Expert Author  

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995.

[View Paul Jerard's Extended Author Bio]

[Display Categories] Sort By [Title] [Newest] [Oldest]

Displaying 1 - 250 of 935 [Prev] [Next]
  • Questions About Teaching Yoga Sessions For Back Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] hen should Yoga teachers consider specialist training? The answer lies within the needs of students with whom you work. Whether it is a specialized group, or an individual student, each Yoga instructor has his or her limits when considering helping students with special needs. The following article is a case, where networking and continuing education are the keys to the therapeutic application of Yoga.


  • Practice Hatha Yoga, For Chronic Stress Relief, to Save Your Life
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga can break the cycle of continual stress. We know that chronic stress is linked to a variety of health problems and can cause death. When you are stressed out, hormones, such as - Cortisol and Adrenaline, are released into your body to give you extra strength in an emergency situation. However, long term affects of releasing cortisol and adrenaline, into your body, can result in heart disease and potential suicide.


  • Yoga Teacher Liability Insurance
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] After an intern has successfully completed a Yoga teacher training course, he or she is looking for teaching positions and considering many side issues. One of the main issues is liability insurance. Below is a question and answer session regarding Yoga teachers and liability insurance.


  • The Yogic Path - Four Yoga Solutions For Teen Anger Management
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The older adults become - the less familiar they may be with the causes and solutions for anger that some teens feel. There are a multitude of reasons why teens feel angry. Hormonal changes are not the only factor, as relationships at home, in school, and with friends, are part of the equation. This article contains four solutions for anger management, which are commonly found in Yoga practice.


  • Yoga Resolutions With an Objective in Mind
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How often do people wish for changes? How can people make more effective resolutions? Where do beginners go wrong in maintaining a steady Yoga practice? There are many benefits that occur when practicing Yoga, but these benefits are not instant. Yet, those who stay on the Yogic path, experience benefits because of Yoga's systematic plan of action.


  • Yoga Certification Online Or Traditional Training
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Traditional Yoga teacher training requires years of direct face-to-face study with a competent Guru. An essential part of learning how to teach Yoga is to maintain a bond with one's Guru for life. Within many Yoga schools, the Guru has the final say in most matters. He or she decides when a student is ready to ascend to Yoga teacher.


  • Yoga Certification Online - Expanding Your Continuing Education at Home
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Not every Yoga teacher is familiar with creating a modified lesson plan for a student with Scoliosis, Multiple Sclerosis, or Rheumatoid Arthritis. You could take a specialized Yoga teacher training intensive for each ailment, a group of ailments, or take an online course. If you have the time to leave work for a specialized continuing education course, you have no worries, but what if your employer is not very understanding about taking time off?


  • Teaching Yoga Classes - Showing Gratitude
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When one decides to become a Yoga teacher, designing lesson plans is part of the daily routine. When teaching Hatha Yoga, lesson plans may consist of a mix of techniques and their practical applications to daily life. There are many lessons we learn in life, but how often does the average person make practical use of them?


  • Teaching Yoga - Pranayama For Self-Realization
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can pranayama help you on the path toward self-realization? Some claim pranayama is boring, while others will tell you it is hard work. In many Hatha Yoga classes, breath awareness is integrated into asana or meditation practice, but it might not be a separate segment of the class.


  • The Evolution of Yoga Certification Online
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The education, and continuing education, of Yoga teachers, through web 2.0 applications, has its proponents. In the hands of a Yoga teacher, a DVD is a powerful resource. How often would you like to rewind a live discourse, lesson, or lecture from the past? While viewing is not practicing, DVDs and online Yoga videos are valuable learning tools. What is even more interesting is: almost every Yoga teacher training course use books and DVDs that compliment the course.


  • Yoga For Spiritual Growth
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Why would anyone, of any religion, seek spiritual growth from Yoga practice? How compatible are Yogic concepts with other religions and philosophies? Is Yoga a wing of Hinduism or an ancient Universalist approach toward living? Let's take a closer look at why people are choosing the Yogic path for their spiritual health.


  • Practicing Yoga Will Shape the Course of Your Life in Three Steps
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga help anyone change the course of life? How many people say they would like to make a lifestyle change? How often do you hear someone say he or she would like to make a difference? Let's look at each issue, and discover a formula for positive change, which will help you, and everyone you know.


  • Yoga and Time Off - Precious Time For Reflection
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How many people really take time off for themselves? The short answer is: Not many. Students are very honest with their Yoga teachers. When asked how much time they spent meditating during the week, most Yoga students will readily admit they do not meditate at all. When asked how often they practice relaxation techniques, which are taught in Yoga class, most gave a surprising answer.


  • Yoga and the Seeds of Inspiration
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Whether you practice alone, or teach Yoga classes full of students, you are familiar with the state of inspiration you feel. Some feel that Yogic inspiration gives them guidance, in the form of a sudden jolt of intuition, while searching for a solution to a problem. Other practitioners admit that a steady Yoga practice helps their creative thinking process.


  • Six Reasons Why Online Yoga Teacher Certification Makes Sense
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Whether you need non-contact continuing education credits, or you are seeking your first Yoga teacher training diploma, online courses have many positive advantages. It is true that not all online Yoga teacher education is equal, but there are some easy ways to tell who is genuine and who is not.


  • How to Practice Your Best Yoga
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] No matter which form of Yoga you practice, or teach, you begin to notice talent levels. Our teachers may have instructed us not to be competitive, and to avoid judging, but that is what people do. Judging time, speed, and distance can keep you safe in traffic; just as much as judging saved primal humans, who hunted and gathered for a living. How do we avoid making comparisons to others and move forward in our Yoga practice?


  • Yoga and Our Connection to Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Our connection to pain is rooted in our personal belief system. Some of us fear pain so much that we cannot think about it without creating internal anxiety. Some of us believe pain is deserved or it is the Law of Karma in practice. Others see modern medicine, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Yoga, and alternative therapies as solutions to end pain and suffering.


  • Teaching Yoga - Giving the Gift of Inner Peace
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Should we abandon positive thinking, intuition, and spiritual health, because we have difficulty measuring them with scientific instruments? The power of prayer and meditation cannot be measured at this time, but we know they help during the recovery from surgeries and ailments.


  • The Purpose of Becoming a Hatha Yoga Teacher
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Why would someone choose to teach Yoga classes? There are many events in life, which just seem to happen, but deciding to go through Yoga teacher training is not one of them. Whether you choose to teach, or your teacher suggests it, there are many different factors to consider if one decides to become a Yoga teacher. The following are thoughts to consider when Yoga students become teachers.


  • The Yogic Path - Showing the Way
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] After many sessions of practicing Yogic meditation and self-analysis, some of us realize why we are here. We find our life purpose and move forward. Yet, what do we leave behind for our family, friends, and students? Once we have found our life purpose, there should be no hesitation on our part, but we should leave markers along the path for our loved ones and the generations of Yoga practitioners to follow.


  • The Yogic Path - Truth and Inner Vision
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When one travels the Yogic path, where is he or she going? If you have a purely physical goal, why would you want to open your mind toward mental, emotional, and spiritual health? Yoga is made up of many components. An exceptionally flexible person may visit one Hatha Yoga class. After one class, he or she may leave bored and go back to dance or gymnastics. This happens every day because some people view all forms of Yoga as an exercise in physical mastery.


  • How Old Is Too Old For Hatha Yoga?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Hatha Yoga teachers are asked variations of this question daily. At times, it seems as if there is a public perception that Hatha Yoga is only for the young and athletic. Many prospective students, with years of training, wonder if they are worthy enough to undergo a Yoga teacher training course. The most common reason, for feeling unworthy of going through Yoga certification, is aging.


  • The Evolution of a Hatha Yoga Teacher
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Here is why the art of teaching will never be replaced by technology: People love the personal interaction with mentors, Gurus, and Yoga teachers. The Internet can produce a huge amount of information in minutes, but we often read, hear, or see differing opinions, which seem to have equal weight. If one has a competent Yoga teacher, he or she may be able to present a focused view of differing opinions.


  • Hatha Yoga and Mastering Self-Realization
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Hatha is only one of the nine main forms of Yoga from India. Each of us begins to practice Hatha Yoga for a variety of reasons. Among these many reasons for practicing - some of us are drawn to Hatha Yoga by the healing aspects, the spiritual journey, a feeling of inner peace, or the joy of physical mastery. No matter what the original reason was, self-realization will become a reality sooner or later.


  • Four Foundational Qualities of Hatha Yoga Teachers
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When considering a Yoga teacher training program, an intern should consider the value of pre-existing training, knowledge, and experience. The fundamentals of Yoga are treasures to be enjoyed. All too often, we miss the finer points of life, by rushing through it. The following are four qualities that will help each intern throughout the training process.


  • Three Ways to Improve Your Hatha Yoga Practice
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga instructors often tell new students not to force, leave competition at the door, and breathe into a given posture (asana). The average student listens, but some students are driven by competition. How can a competitive person "turn the switch off?" It's not easy to stop a lifelong habit. However, making progress in the study of Yoga is not a race.


  • The Internal Fire of Yoga Practice
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When you consider internal fire, do words like tapas (heat) and agni (fire) come to mind? Burning impurities from within is a part of Yoga practice. At the same time, many cultures view fire as a form of cleansing. This brings about many passionate notions regarding the benefits of physical challenges in Hot or Power Yoga classes.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga For Beginners
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are some Yoga teachers who refuse to teach beginner students. Their staff teaches new students, while they work with the "advanced" Yoga students, or they teach specialized master classes. It is understandable that if you run an extremely large ashram or studio, with hundreds of students, it may be difficult to bond with every new student who comes through your doors.


  • Four Steps of the Yogic Path
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The Yogic path is a path of choice. So many people say they want to make a life change. How many will actually follow through with real actions behind their words? Every day, Yoga studios receive telephone calls from people who say: "Today, I'm going to change."


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Student Safety Policies
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Where do you begin to outline safety standards for your Yoga classes? Many studios have a system of checks and balances to make sure every student benefits from classes. At the same time, students have a variety of expectations when attending Yoga sessions. Some students want to reduce stress, while others want to be pushed. Below are a handful of guidelines to help Yoga teachers develop their own policies for safety.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Beware of Unbalanced Praise
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is unbalanced praise in a Yoga class? If you teach classes, you may have learned about "unbalanced praise" in Yoga teacher training; but let's go over the basics. Essentially, unbalanced praise is favoritism when one student is praised, above all others, by the teacher. There is a flaw in this method in that the teacher does not see the big picture.


  • The Most Important Quality in a Yoga Teacher
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] For a rare few Yoga teachers, the new credo seems to be: "The riskier the better." Yoga, in all of its forms, has never been white water rafting. Many students attend classes because they have pre-existing physical or emotional injuries. They come to class because they seek the healing properties of Yoga.


  • Teaching Yoga to Students Suffering From Chronic Anxiety
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If chronic anxiety were compared to a prison, then Yoga could be compared to one of the jailer's keys. There are many possible solutions to anxiety disorders, but each person responds differently to counseling, prescriptions, self-help, group therapy, and Yoga.


  • Hatha Yoga Classes For Arthritis Pain Relief
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Gentle forms of Hatha Yoga can help anyone who suffers from arthritis. Depending on the type, stage, and where arthritis is located in the body, a Yoga session will have to be modified to match the needs of the student. This can make the search for the right Yoga class, and a compassionate teacher difficult, at best.


  • Teaching Yoga and Building Self-Confidence
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Many Yoga teachers seem to glow with self-confidence. Most Yoga instructors willingly accept invitations to participate as guest speakers at local health fairs, conventions, or health expos. Where does all this confidence come from? Is it an inherent quality or an outgrowth from teaching Yoga to others?


  • Karma Yoga and the Power of Words
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When we practice Karma Yoga, we become aware of our actions. Yet, many people think non-action or non-doing is irrelevant to the karmic equation. Additionally, a fair number of people do not think before they speak. If we become mindful of our thoughts, the words we say will be blended with intelligence and compassion.


  • Yoga For Office Workers With Back Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Therapeutic forms of Yoga have been around for thousands of years. Among the many ailments of humankind is back pain. Long before the personal computer was invented, people suffered with pain in their backs. Albeit, the usual source of our ancestor's pains and aches were often related to manual labor.


  • Two Safe Inverted Yoga Postures For Back Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When performing inversions, many students remark at how good their back feels after a Yoga session. When you consider performing an inverted posture, you should be aware this is any posture where the head is below heart level.


  • Yoga Certification - What is Holding You Back?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Do you have a burning desire to take part in an intensive course? Do you feel you could make a positive contribution to society by teaching Yoga? What is your reason for waiting to become a Yoga teacher? If it has to do with learning the basics, that's understandable.


  • Yogic Principles of Unity
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Depending on where you live, Yoga classes can be filled with students of different ethnic origins, religions, social status, age, and gender. As humans, we tend to differentiate ourselves from others by our self image. Depending on how we our programmed, we readily accept others at face value or we reserve the right to make a judgment later.


  • A Yoga Lifestyle is Founded on Principles
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] You read so much wonderful information about adopting a Yogic lifestyle. Over the past ten years, the news media and the medical community have both stepped forward with great praise for the benefits of adopting Yoga as a lifestyle.


  • Substitutes For Butter
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Instead of Butter: Use top quality, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, from the first pressing, or flaxseed oil. The taste of virgin olive oil is appealing to millions of people around the world, so why not adopt it to your taste?


  • Yoga and Empowerment to Reduce Worrying and Stress Levels
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Many people attend Yoga classes to stop worrying and eliminate stress. The truth is - we can reduce stress levels and worrying to manageable levels. When you consider the results of attending regular Yoga classes, in comparison to other methods for stress reduction, the Yogic path has done well over thousands of years.


  • Yoga and the Cultivation of Positive Energy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga is a science of life. The quality of our lives is improved through Yoga practice. With that said, a Yogi is one who pursues a path of harmony, tolerance, peace, compassion, loving kindness, and the cultivation of positive energy. The path less traveled is indeed a difficult one.


  • Yoga is a Vital Part of a Quality Life
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Each of us has hopes, dreams, and aspirations about life, but what is truly necessary for our existence? Could Yoga hold many of the vital components for our survival? When you look at the benefits of Yoga practice, you can see how a Yogic lifestyle creates happiness and peace of mind.


  • Yoga Teacher Jobs - Where to Find Teaching Opportunities
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is important to a facility, or studio, that is looking to hire a Yoga instructor? Teaching in a Yoga studio or an ashram is much different from teaching in a fitness center, church basement, senior center, or a condominium recreation center. The same can be said for the hiring requirements. Most Yoga studios hire from their own Yoga teacher graduates. On the other hand, Yoga studios may only hold five to ten percent of the teaching opportunities within the average community.


  • Yoga Teacher Salary and Jobs
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How do you find an ideal Yoga teaching position? When should you teach for free? Is it worth the time to construct a resume for a Yoga teacher position? Let's review these issues and find solutions.


  • The Care Givers of Yoga
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If a student is seeking Yoga instruction for an ailment - where is she or he to go? Yoga instruction comes in many varieties. Some schools focus on fitness, heat, children, moms, gentle classes, seniors, spiritual growth, and the therapeutic application of Yoga. When you combine the differences, in emphasis between styles and teacher personalities, the possibilities are endless.


  • Designing a Hatha Yoga Class Or Session
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Let's look at some ways to group techniques, within a Yoga class, and keep them interesting for each session. Please keep in mind that there are thousands of ways to design lesson plans. The only time a lesson plan is wrong is if it can potentially hurt a student.


  • Teaching Yoga Students About the Importance of Sleep
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is the value of Yoga Nidra (sleep of the Yogis)? Deep relaxation techniques, taught in Yoga classes, can become life savers outside the class. Although we should not take sleep period short cuts, Yoga Nidra is effective for bringing the mind and body to a state of rest, while the mind maintains awareness.


  • Four Yoga Techniques For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is also known as, "OCD." As many of you know, OCD is often classified an anxiety disorder, in which the person affected is plagued by unwanted, intrusive thoughts. Yoga is designed to help reduce anxiety and stressful thoughts.


  • Discover the Secrets of Karma Yoga
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Within the Bhagavad-Gita, Karma Yoga is mentioned as a spiritual discipline, which is based upon giving and service without the desire for rewards. We might also say that Karma Yoga points us toward supreme consciousness through selfless service and actions of giving.


  • Yogic Insights - Why Are We Here?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yogic insight is a form of analysis, which allows each Yoga practitioner to find logical and rational answers to questions that confuse each of us. 'Why are we here?' is a question which has puzzled humankind since the beginning.


  • Become a Yoga Teacher - Finding Yourself
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How do you define "finding yourself" and what does this phrase mean? Would becoming a Yoga instructor help one find himself or herself? There are many people, who struggle with their direction and purpose in life, but how can intensive Yoga training help?


  • Discover How Yoga Can Turn Your Life Around
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga turn your life around? Where do you start? If you are a Yoga student, a steady practice is a good start. If you teach Yoga classes, and have students in need of help, where should they start? At least some of us see a need for a starting point, which is an early form of self-awareness.


  • Yoga and the Song That Inspires Your Mind
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga and music hold an intangible power to cause positive arousal within the mind. The comparison of Yoga and music does not stop here. We might say that Yoga is a science, and music is an art, but both create innovation within the practitioners of these two disciplines.


  • Yogic Insights - A Closer Look at Fear
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The teachings of Yoga show us to look within for answers and solutions to obstacles; but there are matters that people do not want to look at, and there are matters we cannot change. Many people do not want to look directly at the source of their inner fears. A meditation session, devoted to looking at our phobias, might not be fruitful - unless we have professional guidance.


  • Yoga, Natural Healing, and Daily Treasures
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The practice of Yoga is only part of the "big picture." The application of Yogic principles, to our lifestyle, is a major key to better health. The following are events in our daily lives, for which we should make time:


  • The Hatha Yoga Pradipika For Holistic Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are a number of classical texts that Yoga teachers should become familiar with. Among them are the Gheranda Samhita, Shiva Samhita, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It is believed that the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, written by Swami Svatmarama, is the oldest of these three texts. If we want to draw any conclusions from the classical texts, in regard to our daily health, we might want to consider the following:


  • Yogic Insights - Five Solutions For Progress
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] No matter who we are - we may feel "stuck" at times. We may see an obstacle and feel like we have hit the end of the road or a 'road block." How can Yoga help you when you struggle, at an impasse, which looks like there is only one solution?


  • Teaching Yoga and the Importance of Doing What You Love
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How important is it to follow your passion? How can you do your best when you are not doing what you love? These are questions humans have struggled with since communication began. Most of us realize we have a limited time during our working years. Who wants to spend years working at a job without rewards?


  • Yoga Teacher Certification - Your Untapped Potential
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is your untapped potential? Why do people take a certification course to become a Yoga teacher? Could Yoga teacher training help you to find inherent talents that have remained hidden inside you? Let's look at these, and many other questions, related to finding natural resources within each of us.


  • Yogic Insights - Faith in Humanity
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Could Yoga help you restore your faith in humanity? Have you ever had "one of those days" where everything seemed to go wrong? On one of those days, it may start with one crisis of the moment, and continue onto the next, until we become exhausted by the events of the day.


  • Yoga and Natural Healing Remedies
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] All forms of Yoga are being given a closer look by medical and scientific communities, due to the benefits of living a Yogic lifestyle. We often read or hear about the benefits of Yoga poses (asana), Yogic breathing techniques (pranayama), or meditation.


  • The Best Yoga Teacher is Inside You
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Where can we find the best Yoga teacher? Who is the most mystical of Gurus? If I climb one more mountain, will the answers of my purpose in life be revealed when I get to the other side? These are questions each seeker (sadhaka) wants answered.


  • The Yogic Art of Living
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Why do so many people practice Yoga? Why do students want to become Yoga teachers? What is the attraction to the Yogic path, which bonds so many people from around the world? Is the Yogic way a science or an art? Let's look at these issues closely, to unveil a timeless art of living, within Yoga practice.


  • Yogic Insights - Making Time to Give Thanks
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How often do we talk to an acquaintance or friend, who says: "I wish I had time for Yoga."? We have all heard plenty of creative excuses to avoid Yoga practice, meditation, and taking care of one's health. Maybe you wish there was a way to get through to people who never seem to run out of excuses.


  • How to Practice Ardha Chandrasana For Seniors
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Ardha Chandrasana, which is also known as "Half Moon Pose," is an energizing asana that leaves the practitioner with a sense of focused empowerment. It does not matter what age you are; if you can walk on two feet, you can still practice Half Moon Pose.


  • Discover the Benefits of Yoga Meditation Practice
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is more valuable to you - a trained body or a trained mind? Most people would think about this for a second and decide that physical appearance, through training the body, is more important to them. In Hatha Yoga, we can easily see the number of students who pursue physical mastery through asana practice.


  • How to Become a Yoga Teacher - From Dream State to Reality
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Is it really possible to become a Yoga instructor or anything we desire? Many ideas run through our minds. Even when we sleep, our minds are dreaming and processing random thoughts. Most of our thoughts could be classified as a "dream state." This includes waking thoughts that come and go.


  • Become a Yoga Teacher - One Step at a Time
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Where, and how, should a student start to consider becoming a Yoga instructor? When choosing to take any path, we should take notice of where we are, the assets we have, and what direction we are traveling in. To intentionally reach any destination, we must develop a plan that helps us make the best use of time.


  • Yoga Off the Mat - The Perfection Trap
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Some Yoga teachers and practitioners get caught up in the pursuit of perfection. Will perfection help those who know us? The pursuit of perfection is noble, but if we become perfectionists, we will likely drive away those who love or care for us.


  • Yoga Off the Mat - About Perceived Limitations
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] It is amazing what a Yoga session can do for personal growth. I am not referring to the physical body, as much as the mindset of the average Yoga practitioner. It is agreed that Hatha Yoga is a great form of physical maintenance, but let's look at the changes that take place within the mind.


  • Yoga Off the Mat - Is Yoga a Spiritual Pursuit Or an Industry?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are many forms of Yoga. These styles focus on mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Some Yoga styles focus on a combination of the above-mentioned aspects, for a completely holistic approach to good health.


  • Yoga Off the Mat - Three Yogic Principles For Achievement
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The concept of deriving achievement from Yoga practice is nothing new. Yoga has the ability to alter anyone's direction in life. Throughout history, it has been possible to reach mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial goals by practicing or teaching Yoga.


  • The Extraordinary Part of Yoga Training
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga can change your life from ordinary to extraordinary. When someone promises you the extraordinary, you might want to protect your wallet. In life, extraordinary results tend to be much more than we expected. Sometimes, the cost of a coaching session can be far more than we intended to pay.


  • Yoga Off the Mat - Youth and Immortality
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Did you ever feel as if faithful Yoga practice would grant you immortality? When we are young, we do not see the world with experienced eyes. This does not mean we should give up, but we should realize that Yoga is great for spiritual growth, prevention of ailments, a natural form of therapy, and a good form of pain management for the mind and body.


  • Yogic Insights - The Significance of Dharana
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Dharana is the sixth limb, of the eight limbs, described by Maharishi Patanjali, within the Yoga Sutras. We also classify Dharana as a focused concentration of the mind. In this world of cell phones, lap tops, and television, the mind becomes trained to sift messages quickly - without looking at them in depth.


  • How Yoga and Martial Arts Create Successful Studios
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Some people think Yoga and martial arts are polar opposites, but nothing could be further from the truth. Many of today's martial arts can be traced back to Yogic origins. At the same time, both of these systems develop human potential far beyond normal expectations.


  • Yoga Instructor Training - A Gateway to Self-Mastery
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Taking an intensive Yoga course is a great way to take control of your life, direction, and destiny. Not everyone wants to teach Yoga classes, but an intensive course will instill inner confidence and reveal many methods for establishing self-mastery. Intensives often reveal hidden facets of Yoga practice.


  • Yoga Off the Mat - What Are Your Dreams Worth?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga practice is much more than practicing postures on a mat for a few hours each week. Once the mat is rolled up, we begin to apply the teachings of Yoga to life. Granted, most people will apply the physical mastery, learned from Hatha Yoga, toward other physical activities.


  • Yoga and the State of Spiritual Awakening
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] You read and hear so much about being consciously aware and spiritual awakening, but what does it all mean? What does Yoga have to do with it? How could Yoga practice cause a practitioner to live with intention and complete mindfulness?


  • Why Become a Yoga Teacher? - Purpose
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] You see the changes Yoga has made in the lives of practitioners around you, but imagine them on a global scale. Now, let's consider your dreams, aspirations, and goals. Do you have a life purpose? Do you clearly know what your life goals are? Do you know what holds you back from pursuing your dreams?


  • Yoga and the Power of Positive Energy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you participate in a Yoga practice, you hear terms related to negative or positive energy. Negative energy is most commonly seen as worry, anxiety, pains, aches, pessimism, and doubt. Negative energy prevents progress and can bring your life to a standstill.


  • Yogic Insights - Observing Doubt, Fear, and Faith
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] We are often taught to scorn doubt and fear, but some may claim this is the age of doubt. After so many political, banking, and business scandals, what is left to believe in? Many sports icons, movie stars, musicians, and religious figures have fallen from grace. Who are we to believe in?


  • The Miracle of Self-Help Through Yoga Practice
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Can Yoga make miracles happen? Can we make miracles happen? How often do you hear people hope or wish for a miracle? Many people perform wishful thinking, but how much action do they put into their wishes? Let's look deeper into our daily Yoga practice, in order to recognize miracles - whether they are big or small.


  • Discover and Compare the First Three of the Nine Main Forms of Yoga
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Iyengar, Bikram, and Sivananda may be common styles where you live, but they are sub-styles of Hatha Yoga. Hatha may be the most popular form of Yoga outside of India, but within India are many jewels. Now, let's take a closer look at the first three of the nine main styles from the birthplace of Yoga.


  • Yoga For Weight Loss - Is it a Big Scam?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Could it be possible that Yoga for weight loss is just a marketing strategy? How could Yoga help you burn sufficient calories to lose weight? Is the public being taken for a "sleigh ride," with a holistic approach to weight control? Let's take a deeper look and get to the bottom of an issue that has puzzled researchers.


  • Yoga For Self-Discovery - The Discipline of Yoga
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When we consider the word "discipline," we might think of the military or harsh training. Yoga may not come to mind, when considering the many faces of discipline. Yet, Yoga is a genuine discipline, which has evolved for thousands of years, and it qualifies this description for two reasons.


  • Yoga For Self-Discovery - Is Happiness a Formula?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Can Yoga reveal a formula for happiness? Is it possible to live a worry-free life, if we were to follow Yogic teachings? What holds us back from finding happiness? What would one day of harmony be like? Let's look deeper into Yoga and discover proven methods for resolving life's daily problems.


  • Online and Distance Yoga Teacher Certification Courses
    [Reference-and-Education:Online-Education] Have you been considering an affordable Yoga teacher training course? Many people would like to advance themselves in life, but they see a "road block" ahead. Fortunately, life's obstacles can also be new doors to many different opportunities.


  • Teachings of Yoga and the Fear of Success
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If one is in search of spiritual enlightenment, should he or she avoid success in all other matters? How many Yoga practitioners think that success is a bad thing? Abundance, success, and achievement are shunned by many Gurus. There is a logical reason for this, but there is also a drawback for all of humankind.


  • Yoga For Self-Discovery - Finding Your Inner Child
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] In Yoga, self-discovery is the quest for truth, which begins within each of us. If we manage to avoid the pitfalls of self-pity, we often seek solutions outside of our being. A good example of this is when we try to change others, and when others try to change us.


  • Discover How Yoga Will Rid Your Life of Emotional Baggage
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How does Yoga give you peace of mind? Each day is a new opportunity for all of us. For those who seek inner peace, Yoga is much like a compass, which directs us toward fields of happiness and unlimited opportunities.


  • Hatha Yoga, Personal Growth, and the Environment
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Among the members of many noble causes, you will find Yogis and Yoginis. Causes such as: Charities for curing diseases, world peace, and saving the natural environment are filled with Hatha Yoga practitioners. While it is true that these people are performing Karma Yoga, what is it that draws them toward giving to others?


  • Practice Yoga to Create a Positive Life Plan in Two Easy Steps
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga give you the insight and vision to develop a life plan that is optimistic? What holds you back from opportunities? These questions become life riddles for those of us who lose our way during the journey of life. Let's take an in-depth look at these two riddles and create a positive life plan for you.


  • Making Hatha Yoga a Daily Habit
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How, and why, should Hatha Yoga become a daily habit? If we want to succeed in life, the habits we create will contribute to our personal development. We could let habits go their merry way and become addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and many more self-destructive paths.


  • Practicing Hatha Yoga For a Personal Growth Path
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] In Yoga classes, we are taught about Santosha (contentment). Yet, how can we be content with our lives, when we are influenced by the past, and the society we live in? We have to accept the fact that we are products of our family, culture, and education. To accept oneself at "face value" and without judgment is the beginning of finding inner peace.


  • Hatha Yoga For Personal Growth and Empowerment
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Where can you find concrete advice? Advice, in and of itself, is a form of connecting personal opinions, personal belief systems, and personal values into a recommendation. Therefore, if you obtain the advice of another, it is his or her personal opinion. In some ways, each of us would like to resign decision- making to some one else. We want someone, who has all the answers to the riddles of the universe, but we want to have control over our lives.


  • Hatha Yoga For Your Personal Growth
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Whether you are a Yoga teacher, or a student, personal development is a result of your practice. You may invest time in your physical practice, but are you focusing on your own mental, emotional, and spiritual growth?


  • Hatha Yoga and the Vision to Become Inspired
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga and inspiration become two of your most valuable assets? The power you can develop, by practicing Yoga and developing inspiration, is unlimited. Inspiration is pure direction. If you meet a person, who is completely inspired, that person clearly sees his or her path in life. Let's look at how Hatha Yoga can create inspiration.


  • Hatha Yoga For Training the Mind
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga, in its many forms, allows one to become aware of daily habits in posture, eating, and breathing, by constantly training the mind. All forms of Yoga require self-discipline. We become aware of many situations that can throw the body out of balance.


  • Yoga Off the Mat - Reduce Your Stress at Work
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Whether you are a Yoga teacher, or student, it is worthwhile to learn the art of Yoga off the mat. In Hatha Yoga classes, many of the daily benefits are believed to happen only within the confines of the class. It is time for students to discover the benefits of Yoga during daily life.


  • Yoga in Practice - Manifest the Law of Attraction
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga allows each of us to see the hidden truths in life. When something is clearly revealed to the mind, it seems as if we should have been able to see an obvious truth all along. Yet, some will say that life is a matter of lucky coincidences. Is life just a matter of being in the right place and time, or do we miss opportunities on a daily basis?


  • Yoga and Three Prosperity Myths
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Do you think that you should not be paid for teaching Yoga? Have you ever been told that a spiritual life cannot have prosperity? Do you believe that you should live a life of suffering? Let's talk about three obstacles that people create to avoid prosperity.


  • Hatha Yoga in Practice - Is Shirshasana (Headstand) Dangerous?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] On March 22, 2001, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study about the connection between specific Yoga postures (asanas) and a particular type of stroke called, "arterial dissection." It seems that sudden neck movements, or any Yoga posture that places extreme pressure on your neck, can put you at risk.


  • Yoga in Practice - Three Yogic Tips For Time Management
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Could Yoga be practiced in a way that allows you to make optimum use of time? Do you know somebody who is constantly late, stressed out, and unorganized? Usually, we hear about time management in a corporate setting, but Yoga can apply organized Yogic principles to your daily life. After all, Yoga has helped you to reduce clutter in your mind.


  • Online Yoga Teacher Internet Community
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How has the Yoga teacher community managed to flourish so quickly? It seems to have occurred around the time the web made rapid advancements in technology. There is no coincidence in the timing of the popularity growth of Yoga and Internet video technology. Here is what happened and why.


  • Yoga For Cramps, Safety, Chakras, and Other Yoga Teacher Questions
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Have you ever wondered about the causes of cramps or why there are differences in the colors of the same chakras? Below is a question and answer session from a lecture for Yoga teachers in Attleboro, Massachusetts.


  • Yoga Teacher Certification Courses on the Internet
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Do you wonder about the value of certifications earned on the Internet? How do you sort out who is reputable? When is a Yoga teacher correspondence course a viable option? How can anyone benefit from online certification? Will virtual training ever replace traditional face-to-face education of Yoga instructors? Let's review these questions and sort through your options.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - About Students Who Are Grieving
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga help someone cope with loss? Surely, Yoga must have its limits for healing one who has experienced loss or grief. Yoga teaches us to accept what we cannot control. Yet, we are not made of stone. Humans have emotions and we do not want to expose them for public display.


  • Yoga and the Path to Prosperity in Difficult Economic Times
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How in the world can Yoga help you find prosperity? Where does the path to prosperity begin? It's a tough economy out there; how can I think about anything other than survival? These questions are asked more often lately, than most of us have heard in a lifetime, but let's address each one and you will find out how Yoga can guide you on your path toward prosperity.


  • Hatha Yoga Sessions - Anxiety Solution to a Stressful Economy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The level of education today has resulted in more rational solutions, when people consider methods for relief of worry. In comparison to alcohol, Yoga is very inexpensive. The cost of a Yoga class is about the same, or less than, two glasses of wine at a local restaurant. In contrast to consuming alcohol, it is safe to drive home after a Yoga class.


  • Questions About Back Pain and Yoga
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The exact cause of back pain can sometimes be a mystery. If your physicians cannot come up with a solid reason for your pain, after a battery of tests, you may want to try an alternative method. Below is a case when Yoga has helped a back pain mystery.


  • Hatha Yoga Techniques For Prosperity
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Contrary to popular opinion, within different forms of Yoga, there are combined methods of meditation, mantra, and affirmation for prosperity. The world could use some prosperity right now. Should you become too prosperous, as a result of the following practices, you can always donate your surplus to the nearest charity.


  • Yoga For Prosperity - Define and Cultivate Abundant Energy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Your meditation or Yoga practice time should be filled with positive energy. You could view meditation and Yoga as time spent "charging your batteries." The ancient Yogis realized that the cultivation of energy, which we know as Prana, was time well spent. Complete presence in the moment, during meditation or Yoga practice, allows you to draw positive energy from your surroundings.


  • The Purpose of Yoga - Is the Path Toward Prosperity Un-Yogic?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Since the humble beginnings of humankind, we have prayed for prosperity, abundance, and happiness. Why have so many Yoga teachers scorned the path of prosperity?


  • How Important is Physical Assisting in a Hatha Yoga Class?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Opinions about the importance of physically assisting students, during Yoga posture (asana) practice, vary. Some styles, such as Iyengar, Restorative, Anusara, and Viniyoga, place much emphasis on proper alignment, props, and physical assisting. Most Yoga teacher training programs focus on physical assists, which guide a student toward proper alignment.


  • Yoga Meditation - The Logical Benefits
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] All forms of Yoga originally contained meditation techniques. Some Hatha Yoga styles have little to no meditation time within the classroom structure. How did this happen and why?


  • What Can Yoga Do to Help the Global Economy in 2009?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What can Yoga do to turn the world economy around? Do you feel helpless, when you see or hear the daily news? Does your heart sink when you see your new credit card interest rate? What can Yoga practitioners do?


  • Yoga Terms and Yogic Misrepresentations
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you listen closely, you will hear people misuse terms related to Yoga because of lack of knowledge or by bending and twisting a definition to suit their needs. An example of this would be when a student claims a teacher who charges for classes does not have a "Yogic attitude."


  • Chair Yoga and the Mobility of Seniors
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Chair Yoga classes make a definite change in the stride or gait of seniors. The shortening of our stride can have a negative effect on self-confidence. Yoga gives seniors an opportunity to naturally lengthen each stride. In turn, the increased mobility enhances self-confidence and independence.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Contraindications For Inversions
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is an inverted posture, or an inversion, in a Hatha Yoga class? Technically, any posture (asana), in which the head is below the heart, is an inversion. Whether you stand on your head, bend forward, or bend back, if the head is below the heart, you are performing an inversion. The following contraindications are specifically related to inversions.


  • What is an Advanced Yoga?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Is becoming a contortionist the primary objective of Yoga? Is advanced Yoga performing nearly impossible poses for the applause of crowds? Is an expert Yoga practitioner an example of good health or just another "health nut?"


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga Contraindications For Standing Asanas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There seems to be no single text that lists the contraindications for each Yoga technique; the reason being - the monumental task of listing, categorizing, and matching up each technique, with a corresponding contraindication, would be a feat that would take years to complete. Therefore, let's look at techniques, in groups, and match them to corresponding advice.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - General Guidelines For Contraindications
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is a contraindication for a Yoga technique? Why should Yoga teachers and practitioners be familiar with them? Let's look closely at how knowledge of contraindications in the physical practice of Yoga can help you prevent potential injuries.


  • Yoga, Tolerance, and the New World Order
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga's philosophy is based upon peace and the end of suffering. Each time a world leader has stood up to give this same message of world peace, he or she is shouted down. Yet, we must ask - "Has the world changed overnight?" Will Barack Obama "become the change we wish to see?" How can Yoga help?


  • Affordable Yoga Instructor Courses
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Where can you find affordable, yet comprehensive training, to become a Yoga teacher? Are you are looking for a complete course which covers much more than a few dozen postures? Do you seek to learn about kriyas, doshas, chakras, mudras, mantras, contraindications, bandhas, and more?


  • Yoga Posture Inversions and Stroke Risks
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] In the case of students who have a history of strokes within their family, or who have previously had a stroke, the approach to inversions should be "Extreme Caution." Below is a question and answer session regarding the safety measures, contraindications, and information that should be readily available for Yoga teachers and students alike.


  • Hatha Yoga - A Haven From the Recession
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Can Hatha Yoga give you recession relief? That seems to be the general feeling, among students this winter, as Hatha Yoga classes have not slowed down. The more you listen to the news, the worse you might feel. Yet, you can visit a local Yoga school, center, or studio, for some rest and relaxation.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - How to Teach Students About Non-Judgment
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Recently, I received an enlightening phone call from a website visitor who had a few suggestions about changing my appearance. It seems we cannot all live up to our own expectations, or those expectations that are imposed upon us. The following is part of a conversation about Yoga, Santosha, and judging others.


  • Weight Loss Yoga - The Hidden Secret
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The general concept of Hatha Yoga is a mind and body exercise, but that barely skims the surface as to what Hatha, or any other form of Yoga, is. Now we hear of Yoga for ripped abs, growing taller, stress relief, back pain, and raising children. Is it all a marketing ploy, or can it do all of these things?


  • Four Yoga Techniques to Reduce Stress at Work
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Could Yoga make your day less stressful in work? Do you think your stressful job could kill you? Do you have deep feelings of hostility toward your workplace? Let's look at four time-tested Yogic methods you can learn right now.


  • Eight Keys to Physically Assisting Hatha Yoga Students
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Physically adjusting a student, into the best possible skeletal alignment, is a skill that is passed from teacher to student. With so many questions about assisting and adjusting students for proper alignment - below are eight keys to guide Yoga teachers in the art of assisting.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Could a Physical Assist Be a Sexual Assault?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Recently, an Aspen, Colorado Yoga teacher was arrested in relation to one felony account for alleged sexual assaults during 2008, in his Yoga classes. He may face ten years in prison, if he is convicted. Worse yet, past allegations from 2007, 2006, and 2005, have surfaced.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga During Any Economy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Turn the temperature of the room up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Insult your students, because they love it. Turn your Yoga studio into "Devil's Island." Boot camp Yoga, and being tortured mentally or physically, during classes, is still popular.


  • Why Hatha Yoga Will Survive Any Economy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Doctors are actively seeking solutions for their patients. This is why alternative therapies, such as Yoga, are becoming even more popular than ever. On top of this, the medical system has reach the point of "overload."


  • How Does Hatha Yoga Heal Us?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] One of the most common questions Yoga teachers answer is about the healing aspects of regular practice. As we become more aware of our health, we would like to capture wellness and hold onto it for as long as possible. This is not only an indication of self-awareness, but also a sign of intelligence. Yet, how can Hatha Yoga show us a path toward optimum health.


  • Practice Yoga and Embrace Stress
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Of all the concepts you will ever learn in a Yoga class, stress management workshop, or a combination of both, embracing stress seems to be the most difficult. Yet, how can we improve our lives exponentially by accepting stress as a friend?


  • Universal Yogic Principles - What is Yoga?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga has been called a Hindu discipline, an exercise, a science of life, a self-improvement system, a gateway to God, and many more explanations. There are some who will argue that Yoga is all of these things or none of these things. Is Yoga good or evil?


  • Universal Yogic Principles - Who Owns Yoga?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Once in a while, you hear or read something that is completely ridiculous. Claiming ownership of Yoga, or claiming that someone stole Yoga, definitely falls into the ridiculous category. It is true that Yoga is a 5,000 year old system from India. The world is eternally grateful to the Indian people for many reasons, and Yoga is one of them.


  • Yoga in 2009 - It's Time For a Change
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga makes us realize that one person can change people for the best. Continued small changes can add up to major changes. The beginning of change, in any culture or society, starts within the thoughts of one or more people.


  • Practice Yoga For Managing Stress - Two Easy Yogic Techniques
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga clearly contains the oldest existing stress management techniques. Yoga teachers have absorbed the archives of "tried and true" stress reducing techniques, which date back thousands of years. Let's take a closer look at successful Yogic methods for stress management in today's busy world.


  • Yoga For Self-Confidence in the New Economy - One Easy Tip
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Do you suddenly feel your self-esteem is shaken by economic conditions that you cannot control? Are you tired of watching world leaders and hoping for leadership? Have you noticed that your Yoga practice helps build self-confidence, but wondered why? The following tip will help you build or maintain self-confidence in any economy.


  • Hatha Yoga For Stress Management - Six Tips For Daily Life
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Have you noticed a need for a stress management workshop in your local area? Maybe your students have requested one from you or a local business has offered you the opportunity to present a workshop. There is no time like the present to plan one.


  • Yoga For the People - Sorting Out Reliable Yoga Information on the Internet
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] It is easy enough to access Yoga techniques on the Internet with libraries full of information, videos or video streaming technology, and Podcasts. Yet, how do you decipher which sites have reliable information. Yoga is an evolving system, and there are many different Yoga styles. Below are a few guidelines for sorting out Hatha Yoga information on the Internet.


  • Yoga For Happiness - Santosha For Successful Relationships
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga help someone with establishing and maintaining good relationships? Successful relationships require mutual effort from both sides. Whether a relationship is with someone at work, at home, or with a friend, there is a need to maintain a stable connection.


  • Five Reasons Why an Online Yoga Teacher Certification Course May Be Right For You
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are many reasons why an instructor or intern would take a Yoga teacher training course online, or through correspondence. The following is a short list of reasons why established teachers and potential interns would consider online, or correspondence, Yoga teacher training programs.


  • Questions About Yoga Teacher Certification Through Correspondence Courses
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Have you ever been curious or skeptical about how correspondence courses, for Yoga teachers, work? Below is a question and answer session about educating Yoga instructors through distance learning. These courses are online, or correspondence programs, designed for the education of new, or established, Yoga teachers.


  • Yoga For Happiness - One Key to Successful Relationships
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Jnana Yoga is often considered the "Yoga of truth." This form of truth, in Yoga practice, is found through self-discovery and by carefully performing honest self-analysis. Yet, all that we change from within will not change the world around us, unless we interact with it.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - What to Do With the Competitive Student
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Have you ever wanted to stimulate your competition-minded students, but, at the same time, were concerned about safety precautions? Here is an example of a way to design lesson plans for new Yoga students with limited range of motion, but who thirst for a challenge.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Explaining the Benefits of Relaxation
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Among the many benefits of Hatha Yoga practice is enjoying a state of relaxation. If you have been practicing Yoga for a while, you might think this is a "no brainer." Yet, you cannot expect someone who has never practiced Yoga before, to automatically know the benefits.


  • Hatha Yoga - Preventing Anxiety in Trying Times
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga help you overcome anxiety in the worst of times? For some people, life is a good dream; for others, it is a daily nightmare, and for the vast majority of us, it depends on the circumstances. If you look at a list of symptoms for anxiety, it is very diverse, but Yoga has many diverse techniques to address each one of them.


  • Four Easy Yoga Postures For Chronic Back Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are hundreds of Yoga postures (asanas) to choose from, but what should a person, who is in constant pain, do for relief? Below are four of my favorite Yoga asanas for helping clients who experience back pain.


  • Tadasana - Hatha Yoga's Mountain Posture For Chronic Back Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga has hundreds of postures for relief of back pain. It should be noted that learning from videos is advisable for Yoga teachers, Yoga therapists, Ayurvedic doctors, physical therapists, and medical doctors. However, if you have limited Yoga experience, please consult with your physician before going to a class or session.


  • Yoga Therapy For Chronic Back Pain - Six Tips You Should Know Before Your First Session
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Once you have received the "go ahead" from your physician, you can begin to explore options for private Yoga therapy sessions or a class that suits your needs. After you have found the right Yoga teacher or therapist, there are important aspects to be considered.


  • Yoga Therapy For Chronic Back Pain - The First Step Toward Relief
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When considering Yoga therapy for chronic back pain, you should have the endorsement of your physician or medical specialist. Reducing the back pain in your life can be a team effort. It is important to realize that many forms of therapy work well in harmony with medicine and each other.


  • The Purpose of Yoga - The Difference Between Happiness and Control
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Let's look closer at Yoga. How can Yoga undermine the control of a dictator or a fundamentalist group? Has humankind learned anything from past mistakes?


  • The Purpose of Yoga - Problems With Training the Mind For Success
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Each form of Yoga addresses your health in some way. Let's take a closer look at the problems, which hold each of us back from our true potential, and how Yoga can help us live a more fulfilling life.


  • What Should I Pay For a Yoga Teacher Course?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Where do you start, when considering the many paths of Yoga teacher training? It is always best to compare Yoga certification programs to each other. There are many factors that you might want to take into consideration. Unfortunately, much of your decision making, when choosing a course, depends on time, obligations, money, and flexibility in your schedule.


  • Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Specialist Training
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What should be included within a prenatal and postnatal Yoga teacher training? It is agreed that anyone, who decides to become a prenatal Yoga specialist, should be a competent and certified teacher to start with. When deciding to take the journey of education toward prenatal Yoga certification, one should consider the amount of continuing education involved.


  • Teaching Yoga For Happiness
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Think back to a time of no responsibility, with a wide-eyed view of life and reality. When we were kids, how many of my friends said, "When I grow up, I'm going to become a Yoga teacher?" If memory serves me right, the answer is: "None." Now, let's fast forward to the present.


  • Yoga in Practice - Three Steps to Train the Self-Critical Mind
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga practice reveals many hidden truths and the ability to train one's mind for balanced thinking about self-image. For example: Who is your worst critic? If you are like most of us, you can find that critic just by looking at yourself. How can Yoga change the life of a self-critic?


  • The Priceless Jewel of Breath Awareness Meditation
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] For the vast majority of us, our lives are fairly balanced, so it should not be too difficult to focus on the most basic of life's functions. Your breath is a basic body function and it is good because it makes life possible. Here are some streamlined directions for breath awareness meditation.


  • Yoga For Inner Harmony and a State of Happiness
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is happiness and why should Yoga have anything to do with it? Is happiness being successful? How do you define success? As you know, each of us cannot reach a state of happiness in the same way.


  • Yoga For Your Heart
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Are you tired of watching commercials about how your "bad diet" causes all of your heart problems? What about people who eat healthy and have heart disease? These commercials are usually prescription drug advertisements, which profile everyone with heart disease in a negative light.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Developing the Art of Communication
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you ask any Yoga teacher if he or she needs improvement in communication techniques, you will receive a variety of answers. After all, Level 1 Yoga teacher training courses usually cover cueing, demonstrating, and assisting; so how much more can there be to optimizing your communication skills in a Yoga class?


  • Yoga For Happiness - Crisis Management
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can Yoga help you find mental and emotional balance during a crisis situation? It is so easy to become upset over current events, a traffic jam, or a domestic dispute. How can Yoga help us "keep our cool," when we are being tested by real life situations?


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - The Power of Belief
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are many ways to help your Yoga students become successful in life. Instilling positive energy is one way to develop a path toward achievement. Yet, the most powerful technique toward a life filled with success is instilling self-worth and self-esteem.


  • Yoga For Happiness - A Formula For Success
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Hatha Yoga teachers often teach their students about stress management techniques. Yet, how many teach their students how to be happy, successful, and how to apply these principles, in daily life, outside the Yoga class?


  • Yoga For Happiness and the Law of Karma
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga is a gateway to happiness. Through a proactive lifestyle, anyone can be happy at the worst of times, because internal happiness is a choice. If you talk to a survivor of a war, holocaust, or natural disaster, about his or her experiences, each one of them will admit they had to tap into their proactive will to survive.


  • Yoga and the Manifestation of Success
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] In some Yogic circles, the word "success" is considered selfish. On top of that, the concept of manifesting success could create the type of personality that is only concerned with itself, and taking advantage of situations, to the exclusion of others.


  • Teaching Yoga - The Realization of Job Security
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga is many things, but long-term practice results in a deep realization about oneself and the world around us. Sometimes, obvious truths lurk just below our level of awareness. Whether we are beginners, serious practitioners, or Yoga teachers, all of us have worked for a paycheck. Most of us like what we do, make ourselves learn to like what we do, or change jobs.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Social Skills and Social Events
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you are teaching Yoga sessions on a regular basis, or plan to, social skills are an absolute must. Running a Yoga studio, and teaching classes, has much in common with being a coordinator of social gatherings or an activities director.


  • Three Yoga Tips For Self Motivation
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] In Yoga, we often talk about making changes from within. These small changes affect the world around us. To make a change from within is a difficult task. No matter how much you change, it might seem as if the world around you lacks motivation.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Lead Your Classes With Integrity
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is integrity? Simply put: Integrity is doing the right thing. Why should a Yoga instructor be an example of integrity? Yoga teachers have a responsibility to demonstrate a balanced lifestyle. If someone is not up to the task, why choose to teach classes?


  • Why Do You Want to Become a Yoga Teacher? - Seminars
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] For some of us, that question could easily be re-phrased as, "Why did I want to teach Yoga classes?" Whether you are thinking about teaching Yoga in the future, or have been for the past ten years, it is good to review where you have been, where you are, where you are going, and why you are on the journey.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Creative Networking
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] For Yoga teachers, who work as independent contractors, this economy is a test of creativity. Although there may be class cutbacks, at your local health club, a local chiropractic clinic may be searching for a Yoga instructor to work "in house."


  • Yoga Certification - The Gateway to the Job of Your Dreams
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When discussing teaching Yoga for a living, you might not think you deserve to be happy, while performing work. This seems to be the main objection to a rewarding career: "It's not a real job, unless you are suffering miserably."


  • Yoga in Practice - More Yogic Tips For Time Management
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga teaches us to "live in the moment," but how can we apply this principle toward time management? We often hear people say, "I need more time," but how can we get more than 24 hours out of a day? Truthfully, we only have 24 hours, so there must be something to getting the most out of each day.


  • Yoga - A Remedy For Worry
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How could Yoga be a remedy for worry? Yoga teaches you to be completely, and consciously, aware of the present moment. The first time a friend of mine heard the words "consciously aware," he laughed because it was a pre-requisite for a potential date.


  • Yoga Therapy and Preventative Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga therapy has been sitting by quietly, while the mainstream population has begun to "try Yoga," but that may soon change. With the world's governments and financial markets struggling along, there will be many changes in the near future.


  • How to Become a Yoga Instructor - Inner Vision
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The call for us to teach Yoga often starts with a vision from within. This vision of becoming a Yoga teacher is not something that someone else told us to see. We have been systematically trained to ignore our intuition and trust outside resources. This makes focusing on what we internally visualize difficult.


  • Practicing Hatha Yoga During a Financial Crisis
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Hatha Yoga teachers are suddenly seeing a resurgence of student numbers, within their classes. Many new Yoga students have one common factor, which has driven them to attend classes. In short, the population is experiencing chronic stress.


  • Teaching Yoga to a Revolving Door
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you teach Yoga part-time, or full-time, you are aware of a core group within your classes. These are students who you can set your watch by. As a Yoga instructor, you feel there is nothing better than teaching a Yoga session with students who appreciate the rewards of regular practice.


  • Why Do You Want to Become a Yoga Teacher? - Explaining Benefits
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you are a serious practitioner or a teacher of Yoga, you might take for granted that everyone knows about the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. Since we are involved in practicing, or teaching, Yoga every day - we naturally assume everybody knows something about it.


  • Two Questions Yoga Teachers Do Not Want to Answer
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Like everyone else, Yoga teachers get to hear plenty of questions, but some questions come up often enough to develop a standard response. Some teachers do not want to answer them at all. In this case, read on, and you can develop your own canned response.


  • Mantra Yoga - Meditating on a Sound
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Sound is all around us; yet, sound is within us. Both forms of sound can be used for constructive meditation sessions. A repetitive external sound can easily be used to focus the mind. There are musical compositions for meditation. For beginners, the more repetitive the sound, the easier it will be to focus.


  • Stress - How Hatha Yoga Will Help When You Feel Stressed Out
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are many forms of Yoga. Among the nine main styles, Hatha is the most commonly practiced, outside of India. Some may think of Hatha as a physical exercise, a gateway to physical mastery, or consider it to be a form of Yoga for back pain. Regardless of the reason for practicing, Hatha Yoga is often practiced by those who feel stressed.


  • Five Yoga Intensive Tips - How to Get the Most Out of Your Next Yoga Training
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Whether you are attending an on-site course for re-certification, a refresher, or for your initial Yoga teacher training, you want to learn as much as you can while you are there. Most onsite, or residential intensives, can be quite expensive, so here are a few tips for getting the most out of your training session.


  • Yoga in Practice - The Law of Attraction
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How does Yoga relate to the "Law of Attraction?" We often hear about the universal concept of attraction, but how many of us are aware of it as it happens throughout the day? Let's take a closer look at our Yoga practice and how we influence the world around us with our thoughts.


  • Yoga and Integrity
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga is often described as "unity." The root words for integrity are the Latin words, "integritas" and "integer", which we know as "whole" or "wholeness." If you practice Yoga, you should be familiar with the concept of working to improve your entire being, in every facet of your existence.


  • The Direction of Yoga As a Form of Therapy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How can we expect Yoga to be recognized as a viable therapy, along side traditional western medicine? Much like many of the other holistic approaches to health, Yoga is not backed by any "deep pockets" of financial power, in comparison to Fortune 500 companies and the International corporate giants.


  • Yoga Teacher Ethics - How Much Emphasis Should Be Placed on Them?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Why is there a code of ethical conduct for Yoga teachers? There is a balancing act between integrity and power. Whether we like it, or not, the position of teacher, in any subject, is a position of power. At the same time, Yoga teachers must establish an environment of mutual trust.


  • Yoga Therapy - The Future is Now
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Many people feel that therapeutic Yoga styles are an alternative form of therapy, because they have seen changes in their lives, or in the life of someone close to them. Yet, Yoga must undergo scientific and medical scrutiny in the form of studies or research.


  • Yoga Teacher Distance Education and Contact Hours
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Becoming a certified Yoga teacher has never been easy. Due to the quality of online courses, and the evolution of distance education technology, the common hurdles of distance, travel, time, and expense have been removed from the process. Below is the dialogue of a recent interview about Yoga distance education and contact hours.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - The Relationship of Student and Teacher
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Traditionally, students of Yoga sought out a particular guru. They may have been referred to this specific guru by his, or her, loyal students, or knew of the teacher's skills by reputation. At that point, a guru would make a decision on whether or not to take in another student on a trial basis. The trial may have consisted of doing work around the ashram before being recognized as a formal student.


  • Yogic Mind Training Techniques
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Within every form of Yoga are the tools of change. Yoga was designed to give you the tools to improve yourself, your health, and your lifestyle - at this moment. Just by practicing your favorite form of Yoga, each day, you reinforce your emotional health; but let's observe how the principle works and how to do it.


  • Online Yoga Certification - How Technology is Changing the Face of Teacher Training Courses
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Traditional Yoga teacher training programs still exist, but traditional programs often last years. Not so long ago, the concept of an intensive face-to-face training, for a month, seemed like a new idea. All you had to do was schedule your time, and you could combine your training, with a vacation, at a beautiful or exotic location.


  • Yoga Intensives - How to Maximize Your Experience
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Whether you teach Yoga, or not, there are a few methods to help you get the most out of your experience at a seminar, retreat, or an intensive training. When planning to attend any kind of Yoga intensive, here are a few tips to help you get the most from your learning experience.


  • How Hatha Yoga Can Help Anger Management
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The idea of practicing Yoga, as an adjunct to anger management therapy, has promise, but it also has disbelievers. Those who would prefer to stay as they are have "short changed" their chances at achieving success through any form of therapy. If we do not believe in a form of treatment, there is not much chance of success.


  • Yoga Therapy - Helping Yoga Students Who Have Ailments and Illnesses
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga is a confusing topic, because it is so wide in its reach. Outside of India, Yoga is often seen as a form of mind and body exercise. Yet, Yoga has deep therapeutic value, which is being observed in medical and scientific research studies.


  • Can I Become a Certified Yoga Teacher - If I Was a Competitive Ice Skater?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Here is something to share with all of you. The following is a question and answer session between a potential applicant and me, which never came to fruition. Sometimes, Yoga is a little different from other activities.


  • Jnana Yoga - Finding the Truth
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Jnana Yoga is often referred to as, "union by knowledge." Jnana is also known as, "the path of wisdom." A Jnana Yoga practitioner dedicates much time toward practice, research, and self-analysis. Traditionally, this method of Yoga was practiced by members of the Brahman (priest) caste.


  • Practicing Hatha Yoga - Recognizing the Signs of Intolerance
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] One of the benefits of Yoga, and meditation, is clarity of mind. After practicing Yoga, the body and mind feel tranquility, which lowers stress levels and allows us to cultivate positive relationships at home, with friends, and at work.


  • How Can Hatha Yoga Help Your Heart Health?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] During the course of a week, Yoga teachers may work with students who have a variety of physical ailments. Among those ailments are the many forms of heart disease and heart conditions. There are many differences, and many causes, of heart problems.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Bhastrika, Kapalbhati and the Fainting Game
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Recently, a conversation arose about the dangers of prolonged and forceful Pranayama (Yogic breathing techniques). A friend, and colleague, was discussing pushing the limits of Bhastrika and Kapalbhati to the point of neuron damage, within the brain.


  • Practicing Yoga As Treatment For Holistic Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] It has been argued that the purpose of Yoga is not based on treatment. This is ironic - at a time when Yoga is practiced widely for its stress management abilities. Add to this, Yoga therapy has steadily flourished, over centuries, as long-term practitioners became aware of the healthy side effects of Yoga practice.


  • Yoga Teacher Training Online - The Hidden Catch
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] People are used to "hidden catches" in everything, so where is the hidden catch in an online Yoga certification course? Have you ever priced a personal computer or software, only to see the price double or triple? People get used to the idea of surprises when ordering anything these days.


  • Where Do I Find the Confidence to Teach Yoga Classes?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Life is full of surprises. Even in established Yoga schools, there are times when Yoga teachers become ill, have a family crisis, or have to leave because of obligations. Most often, the senior student, or an established substitute Yoga teacher, will "fill in" for as long as it takes.


  • Becoming a Yoga Teacher in Your Semi-Retirement
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Becoming a semi-retired Yoga instructor is much more appealing in today's job market. All of us reach a point where we want to spend our time making a contribution to our families and communities. The option of part-time work, as a Yoga teacher, is one of many for a new breed of retirees.


  • Office Yoga - Practice Yoga in Your Office
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Office Yoga can improve health and productivity. Constant sitting is not healthy for your circulation or for the skeletal structure. Most of us know that excessive sitting can cause poor circulation in the legs and blood clotting.


  • Two Benefits of Yoga Meditation
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] In a typical Yoga session, you may practice meditation at the beginning of class, at the end of class, or both. There are many methods of meditation, but Yoga practitioners usually learn breath awareness, visualization, or focusing on an object.


  • Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali - The Mystery of Aparigraha
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The fifth Yama described by Maharishi Patanjali, within the Yoga Sutras, is Aparigraha. This Yama is not one of the ten traditional Yamas. To understand Aparigraha, we might want to look at the polar opposite, which is "Parigraha."


  • Yoga Instructor Training - Learning Tools
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Can Yoga teachers learn from books? This question may seem silly, but some traditionalists would have you believe that you can only learn Yoga under the guidance of a Guru. While the hands-on experience with a Yoga Guru is valuable, this may not always be practical.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - The Vocal Problem Student
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When teaching Yoga classes, you encounter a number of rewards; but from time to time, you may also find your leadership skills challenged. No matter how many students you have taught in the past, you may run into a new and challenging situation.


  • Methods of Meditation - Meditating on a Function
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] Some common examples of meditating on a function are - breath awareness meditation and walking meditation. There are other lesser know examples, such as meditating while painting, drawing, drumming, writing, dancing, and many more creative pursuits.


  • Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali - The Joy of Brahmacharya
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Bramacharya is the fourth Yama, described by Maharishi Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras. The literal definition of the root words, brahma and acarya, is "brahmic behavior." In fact, Bramacharya is also the first Asrama (stage of life for a Brahman), when a student lives a life of celibacy and purity, while studying the Vedas.


  • Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali - The Challenge of Asteya
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Asteya is the third Yama (restraint) mentioned by Maharishi Patanjali, within the Yoga Sutras. In short, Asteya may be defined as "non-stealing." However, the depth of this Yama goes much further. This is the Yama of giving to others.


  • Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali - The Promise of Satya
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] In the Yoga Sutras, Satya is the second Yama (restraint) mentioned by Maharishi Patanjali. Yet, what exactly is Satya? In short, Satya is honesty. If you want to see a controversy, bring up the subject of honesty applied to law, politics, or business ethics.


  • Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali - The Vow of Ahimsa
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] What is ahimsa? In the Yoga Sutras, Ahimsa is the first of the contemporary Yamas (restraints). Quite often, you hear the definition: "non-harming" is the meaning of Ahimsa. You may also hear "non-killing" or "non-violence" applied to the meaning of this demanding Yama.


  • Yoga Teacher Exam Stress
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Some situations are ironic. Yoga teachers often help their students with stress management techniques. Can you imagine a Yoga teacher intern stressed out over his or her exams? It happens more frequently than you think, but here is a way to finish your studies, without stress, and become a Yoga teacher, within a reasonable time frame.


  • Spinal Alignment During Meditation
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] Much attention should be paid to spinal alignment, at the beginning, and during, your meditation sessions. In some Yoga classes, you may be instructed to sit in Padmasana (lotus posture). As you will learn, this is not entirely correct for every student, but the reasons for choosing Padmasana are logical.


  • Yoga in Practice - The Yogic Path to a Trained Mind
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] It is true that physical mastery will be realized through the practice of Hatha Yoga, but the mental benefits are usually not realized within an exercise class. If a student is not made aware of the true value of mental attention during practice, the mind-training benefits will still trickle through. Let's look at daily steps you can take to train, balance, and get the most, out of your mind.


  • The Value of the Yoga Teacher Certification Process
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Is there a need for certification and standardization of Yoga teachers? How can you make the nine main Indian forms of Yoga, and their sub-styles, conform to a measured standard? Who should control and regulate Yoga?


  • Hatha Yoga - Waking the Power of Self-Realization
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga lessons are best learned, by using all of your senses, and letting your heart guide your practice. The development of self-realization is much similar because one or two senses will only expose the essence of the true self.


  • Teaching Yoga As a Profession - Consultants and Mentors
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you are looking for a Yoga teacher consultant or coach, you may want to make certain you are getting reliable knowledge. Consider the following criteria before hiring a consultant or coach that specializes in working with Yoga teachers.


  • Creating Your Meditation Space
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] If you practice a form of walking meditation, the idea of creating a special place for meditation, may seem to be a waste of time. In fact, meditation can be practiced at any time, in any place, but the meditative experience itself will vary with your practice and surroundings.


  • Practicing Meditation With Pets
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] The following is a meditation story and an experiment for pet owners. The common practice is to leave pets aside while meditating. It has been my observation that most pets tend to approach us calmly, while we are meditating. If a young puppy is in this house, this may not always be so, but mature dogs develop a good sense about when humans need space.


  • Relaxing Your Senses For Meditation
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] There are methods that help your body unwind before a meditation session. A bath, shower, massage, and asana practice have one thing in common - the muscles relax as a result. When your muscles are relaxed, it is much easier to meditate.


  • Starting Your Personal Meditation Practice at Home
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] Perhaps you have read, or heard, about the many benefits of meditation; but where do you start and what are some valuable tips? Which form of meditation would be best to start with? Whether you have practiced before, or not, the following tips are designed to help you develop a steady meditation practice at home.


  • How Long Should My Meditation Sessions Last?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] The average guideline, for a Yoga meditation session, is 20 minutes for a minimum practice. Many advanced practitioners have longer sessions because meditation has become a rewarding experience.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga For Injury Prevention
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Teachers should know the potential for injury in each posture. For example: When performing Matsyasana (Fish Pose), students should also know of the potential to hyper-extend the neck. If a student has pre-existing migraines, high or low blood pressure conditions, or a history of neck and back injury, this pose may have to be by-passed.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Student Safety in Yoga Classes
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Consider this: Compare one hour of step aerobics to one hour of Yoga and your body notices striking differences. At the end of both classes, you feel great, but that is where the similarity ends.


  • Can Yoga Really Prevent Anger Flare-Ups?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga is said to cure almost every ailment known to humankind, but how do we define anger? Some of us feel anger the minute we wake up, while others never seem to let anything bother them.


  • Is Practicing Yoga Selfish?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Have you ever felt like you were visiting "Bizarro World" or some sort of parallel universe? On a rare occasion, you may get a chance to hear a unique opinion about Yoga. Some of my best memories are of listening to people talk about the benefits of Yoga; but recently, I had a chance to overhear a conversation about how self-centered Yogis are. This person's point of view is an interesting one, even if you do not agree with it.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga Postures With Mindfulness and Safety
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] How much attention, to proper alignment, do you see in Yoga classes? How fast is the pace of the class? Are students being asked about pre-existing injuries before participating in a Yoga session?


  • Living Yoga to Calm Your Mind
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Stop thinking about what you cannot do. Instead, think about what you can do. The problem with any moral code is that we always approach it from the, "thou shalt not" point of view. Let's look at it from an entirely different angle.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Silent Observation and Student Abilities
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When teaching Yoga to new students, there are a variety of challenges for both teachers and students. Yoga can be a learning curve for a new student. At the same time, the methodology of teaching can be a challenge for a Yoga instructor. The following is a question and answer session, in relation to silent observation and student abilities, in a Yoga class.


  • Teaching Methodology For Yoga Instructor Training Courses
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Beyond philosophy, meditation, asana, and Pranayama, there is still much more for an intern to learn about teaching Yoga. These subjects get some attention, during a 200-hour Yoga certification course, but once an intern has successfully graduated, a peripheral subject becomes a part of daily independent research or continuing education.


  • How Should the Topic of Philosophy Be Approached in a Yoga Teacher Certification Course?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Maharishi Patanjali mentions Yama and Niyama as the first two limbs of the Eight Limbed Path. Why would he mention them first? At the very least, he has tried to point out their importance. Over time, the message does not come out as it once did.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Students With Pre-existing Conditions and Yoga Teacher Continuing Education
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga teachers should be cautious and give gentle guidance, when a student has any form of a pre-existing health condition or injury. In some cases, Yoga teachers should refer their students to a Yoga specialist.


  • Yoga in Practice - How to Find Peace of Mind
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Many Yoga practitioners are familiar with the value of a silent retreat to an Ashram or another sacred place. An extended silence turns the mind inward, which makes us more mindful during Yoga and meditation practice. Silent Yoga retreats give us "breathing room" and allow our minds a chance to wind down.


  • How Should Meditation Be Covered During a Yoga Teacher Certification Course?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Yoga teacher graduates should know, at least, four methods of meditation. Some typical examples would be: Breath Awareness, Visualization without a Physical Object, Mantra, and Focusing on an Object. Some of your students will be able to grasp one of these concepts, but may struggle with the other three.


  • How Should the Topic of Pranayama Be Covered in a Yoga Teacher Certification Course?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] As you sit on a mat practicing meditation, asana, pranayama, mudra, bandhas, japa, or any Yogic method - this is just practice for daily life situations. All of these aspects should be part of your daily life, regardless of the location of your Yoga mat. The easiest Yogic method to transfer into daily life is pranayama.


  • Teaching Hatha Yoga - Essentials For Beginners
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] The beginning of September is a busy time for Yoga teachers and Yoga studios in North America. This is the time of year when children go back to school and parents make decisions about activities for the next nine months. Whether there are more resolutions, made during September or January, is a subject for debate.


  • How Should the Topic of Asana Be Covered in a Yoga Teacher Certification Course?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] If you are going to teach Hatha Yoga classes, there are many subjects to cover, but asana (posture) is often the starting point of most Yoga teacher training courses. It could be debated that we should follow the Eight Limbed Path, as explained by Maharishi Patanjali, by reviewing the first two limbs (Yama and Niyama) before asana.


  • Hatha Yoga Solutions For Your Hips
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When we consider Yoga solutions for our hips, we often think in terms of physical tightness, which occurs over time. Our hips are largely ignored until we feel pain in them from excessive sitting, trauma, arthritis, or gradual joint wear. Yet, the hips are also a storage area for stress, anxiety, and emotional turmoil.


  • Restorative Yoga - A Low Impact Solution For Middle-Aged Spread
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] Does Yoga have solutions for middle-aged spread? Are your knees, back, hips and shoulders begging for mercy? Restorative Yoga is a complete health maintenance system, and a low impact form of cross training, that will not cause premature wear in your joints.


  • Yoga For Happiness and Prosperity
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] There are so many traditional and contemporary styles of Yoga, that it is hard to keep track of them. Yet, each of them shares, at least, one aspect in common. Each style of Yoga will help the practitioner to find happiness and prosperity by finding oneself, and by truly understanding the depth of Yogic teachings.


Displaying 1 - 250 of 935 [Prev] [Next]


© EzineArticles.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.